News Broadcasting
UK’s ITC slaps 10,000 fine on B4U
MUMBAI: Britain’s Independent Television Commission (ITC) yesterday imposed a financial penalty of 10,000 on B4U (“Bollywood For You”) Channel for breaches of the ITC programme code by scheduling three films during the day whose content was unsuitable before the 9 pm watershed.
Three films, Aatank Hi Aatank, Ghulam and Sarfarosh were shown on Sunday 3, 24 and 31 March respectively, at 4 pm. Sarfarosh has been classified ’18’ for video release in the UK, and Aatank Hi Aatank and Ghulam are rated ’15’ certificate on video. The ITC Programme Code states that no ’15’ certificate film should normally start before 9 pm (8 pm on premium subscription services) and no ’18’ certificate film should start before 10 pm.
The ITC in its ruling said that while it accepted that edits had been made to the films to reduce the effect of some scenes and remove others altogether and recognising that Bollywood films do contain stylised violence, all three films contained numerous violent scenes, including frequent fist fights, beatings and gun fights, which the ITC considered unsuitable for afternoon transmission.
B4U is a subscription movie channel in the UK and is available on cable and satellite. It was granted an ITC licence in May 1999 and began broadcasting in the UK in August 1999. An official release says B4U has breached the ITC Programme Code on two occasions for wrongly scheduled films (January 2000 and April 2001), the ITC Advertising Code on three occasions (August 1999, January 2001 and August 2001), and has recorded one breach of the ITC Programme Sponsorship Code (February 2001).
The fine on B4U followed just a day after the ITC slapped a 10,000 penalty on Swedish broadcaster Kanal 5 for breaches of the Programme Code. ITC last imposed a financial penalty in July 2001, which was 100,000 for LWT for breaches of the Sponsorship Code.
Kanal 5 was penalised for transmitting a sexually explicit image throughout daytime television, including during programmes likely to appeal to children. The monochrome still image appeared in a trailer for an evening schedule that included a sex advice show, Fraga Olle. The image graphically showed a couple having sex. The image was taken from the opening credits for Fraga Olle (the general acceptability of the programme itself and its scheduling at 10pm or 10:30 pm, was not an issue).
The trailer was aired 67 times between 20 and 26 March 2002, from as early as 8 am and appeared frequently throughout the day, evening and night.
The Commission judged that the trailer breached Sections 1.2 and 1.6 of the ITC Programme Code (family viewing and the watershed and sexual portrayal before the watershed) and that the breach demonstrated a serious lack of rigour in the channel’s approach to compliance.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
